MY FAVORITE RECIPES By Dee Bryson: Meet Aubrey Aguilar

Aubrey Cammack Aguilar has recently returned to Colfax after living in Ecuador for the last four years. She is excited to be back in the place she grew up and be closer to family. She looks forward to raising her children in the same community in which she shared so many wonderful experiences as a child. Aubrey is also looking forward to sharing some of the life lessons she has learned over the past several years through her own growth, travels and experiences.

Aubrey is very open with those she meets about some of the struggles that she has had to overcome. She has battled ADHD, eating disorders and depression. After moving to Ecuador, she did not have access to the medications that were available in the United States. This caused her concern, but it also forced her to look into other alternatives. She celebrates the answers she has found that have promoted so much healing for her and looks forward to being an advocate to help others.

Aubrey is passionate about sharing her love for a couple of different forms of yoga that have been so instrumental in helping her make positive changes in her life.

Aubrey is currently offering free classes to introduce people in the community to two different forms of yoga that have helped her so much.

The first class she offers is called IntenSati, and Aubrey is one of the few certified instructors in the nation.

It is a mixture of aerobics, martial arts, strength conditioning, spoken affirmations and meditation.

Aubrey explained that while battling ADHD, she always struggled with creating a moment of pause in between an emotion and an action.

This method of yoga has not only helped her create that pause, but the spoken affirmation has been incredibly healing as she has created more self-love and acceptance through both meditation and speaking positive words out loud.

While living in Ecuador, Aubrey also had the opportunity to be exposed to many different cultures and beliefs.

She found it intriguing to find so many commonalities between her own Christian beliefs and those of many other cultures and religions she encountered.

Aubrey had the opportunity to train with a Sikh Yogi and grew from that experience.

It increased her understanding and love for yoga.

She learned that “Yoga” means union of body, mind and spirit.

The philosophy of yoga is to have a higher consciousness of a higher power.

Through yoga she has learned to implement meditation and prayer and has found that it teaches compassion, awareness, tolerance, patience and love for both oneself and others.

Aubrey has found that these beliefs fit beautifully and relate wonderfully to the Christian point of view.

She uses these attributes in the second class she teaches, which is Kundalini Yoga.

This yoga is used to strengthen the nervous system.

Her classes are available on Saturday mornings from 9-11 a.m., held at The Center next to the Colfax Library.

Classes are for all fitness levels.

Aubrey chose to share a few of her favorite recipes from Ecuador.

Recipes

Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp ceviche is one of the most popular coastal dishes in Ecuador. This ceviche features fully-cooked shrimp (versus many of the raw ceviches from other countries) and is a really good, light meal. Serve with white rice and fried patacones.

2 pounds cooked shrimp (If you buy it raw, I suggest you cook it in coconut milk for amazing flavor.)

2 red onions, sliced very thinly

4 tomatoes, sliced very thinly or diced

Optional: 1 bell pepper (red or green,) diced

The juice of 10-15 limes

The juice of 1 orange

1/2 cup ketchup or 1/2 cup freshly blended tomato juice (for a fresher-style ceviche)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped very finely

Salt, pepper and oil (sunflower or light olive oil)

Soak the onion slices in salt water for about 10 minutes, rinse well and drain. Peel the shrimp and boil the peelings in a cup or so of water until a fragrant broth. Discard peelings and keep the liquid.

Combine all ingredients with the liquid from the shrimp in large bowl and let it sit in the fridge for one to two hours.

Serve with chifles (fried green banana or green plantain chips) or patacones (thick fried green plantains.)

Yield: For 8-10 people, more or less depending on if served as main course or tasting appetizer.

Fried Patacones or Tostones

Easy recipe for homemade patacones or tostones, a popular Latin American appetizer or side dish made with twice-fried slices of green plantains.

2 green plantains (use about 1 plantain per person for an appetizer and 1 plantain per 2 people for a side dish – yields 4-5 patacones per plantain)

Oil for frying (use peanut, coconut or avocado oil)

Salt to taste

Optional: crushed garlic, hot pepper powder, other seasonings if desired

Twice fried method for patacones or tostones:

Peel the plantains.

The easiest way to peel a green plantain is to make a lengthwise cut on one of the angles, the cut should be skin deep without touching the actual flesh of the plantain, then use the knife to raise the skin and peel it off.

Cut the plantains into thick slices, making straight or slightly diagonal cuts.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan – use enough oil to almost cover the plantain slices - or use a deep fryer.

Temperature should be about 350 degrees F. Fry the plantains until they start to get yellow, but not golden.

Remove the plantains and place on paper towels to drain the oil.

Use the bottom of a glass (or small bowl or wood pestle) to smash and flatten the plantains.

Do this gently to keep the slices from breaking.

A few cracks is ok, as long as the whole slice remains in one piece.

It is best to do this when they are still warm.

Sprinkle the plantain slices with salt and other seasonings (if using the raw garlic, rub it on the slices.) Reheat the oil to about 375 degrees F and fry the plantains until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove from the oil, drain again on paper towels, and add additional seasoning if needed.

Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer with dipping sauces. One plantain yields 4-5 patacones